Description

The ASU-57 is a Rank III Russian tank destroyer with a battle rating of 4.3. It was introduced in Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows". It is a tiny, mobile 57 mm gun carriage akin to the ZiS-30.

The ASU-57 is a tiny, open topped, turretless SPG armed with a 57 mm gun with good penetration. It is famously the smallest tracked vehicle in the game, weighing only 3.3 tons. Its complete lack of armour makes it extremely vulnerable, its only defense being its small size, making it extremely difficult to notice, let alone hit. It has very good speed and excellent maneuverability, being very nimble for a turretless tank destroyer. The 57 mm gun starts with solid shot rounds, which is troublesome as each shot will make the firing position more apparent. For this reason it is recommended to research the APHE rounds and adjustment of fire to reduce the number of shots needed to destroy an enemy.

The ASU-57 is very difficult but very rewarding and fun to play, and it is not recommended for arcade battles, as its primary advantage, stealth, is lost. The ASU-57 is a master of stealth, famed and beloved by the community by its ability to sneak up on tanks by using its extremely small size. When using the ASU-57, objects that other tanks would ignore or simply drive over are capable of completely hiding the vehicle, making ambushes and surprise attacks the specialty of the ASU-57. This size comes at a cost, however, as the ASU-57 has barely more survivability than a Soviet AA truck.

Usage in the battles

The ASU-57 is best used as an ambusher/flanker, executing surprise attacks from unexpected locations other vehicles would struggle or be unable to reach. The ASU-57 is incredibly short, and by driving up next to an enemy can render the vehicle completely safe, as almost no vehicle has enough gun depression to reach it. For this reason it is recommended to only go after isolated vehicles, as an enemy teammate will be able to assist their ally by destroying the ASU-57. For the maximum efficiency of this tactic, knock out the driver of the enemy vehicle, then rush up to their side before they can bring their gun to bear. Once this is done, try to ammo rack or pick off their crew before they can recover.

Literally any vehicle, be it ground or air, can destroy the ASU-57 within seconds if allowed to get it in their sights.

Pros and cons

Pros:

Tiny size and very light weight

Difficult to target at long range

Easy to conceal. The tank can proceed to the other side of the map and not be seen by anyone

Good speed and mobility

Although very vulnerable to strafing by enemy planes, the vehicle can be easily concealed from their view (RB and SB)

Very low profile makes it impossible to be hit by most enemy tank guns when right next to them

Powerful 57 mm gun

Access to APCR ammunition

Cons:

Virtually no armour

High top speed + no armour means the ASU-57 can destroy itself upon hard collision

Lightweight and tiny size makes it easy to push around by enemy and friendly tanks

Low ammunition count

Crew can get knocked out easily by aircraft fire or artillery

57 mm gun can struggle to deal with angled armour

57 mm gun rarely can destroy vehicles with one shot

Not suitable for AB players; this tank's main advantage is its small size, so having a big red marker does not play in the player's favour

No defensive machine guns. SPAA can be a real threat, even at long range

Crew are packed into the ASU-57, any damage will result in one or more knocked out crew member

Prone to hull break

Can really struggle to penetrate certain tanks it will face, such as Jumbos and Churchills

Poor horizontal and vertical traverse of the gun

Unsuitable for long range engagements

Tall grass can hinder clear vision through the sight

History

Development

In mid-1940s, sometime either late in World War II or post-war, a proposal was made to develop a vehicle for the airborne troops. The vehicle was to be a lightweight assault gun able to support the paratroopers by being transportable by air. The task was given to two design bureaus, OKB-40 headed by Nikolaj Astrov in Mytischi and the other to Anatoly Karvtsev in Moscow. Astrov designed his vehicle as the ASU-76, armed with a 76 mm D-56T gun. The design ended up being too heavy and its armour way too thin for adequate protection and was cancelled. Kartsev's project was the K-73 which was amphibious and used a 57 mm Ch-51 anti-tank gun as its armament. This was even more thinly armoured than the ASU-76 and was also cancelled.

In 1949, Astrov was able to continue work on his design, but with specifications that the vehicle be made lighter and use the 57 mm Ch-51 gun instead due to its anti-tank performances. The redesigned vehicle was labeled Object 572 and passed the test phases in 1949. It was formally accepted for service as the ASU-57 in 1951 and production lasted from 1950 to 1952 with amounts produced up to a thousand.

Usage

The ASU-57, as an airborne vehicle, was made to be air-dropped from planes and land via a rocket-assisted parachute. It was then crewed by its airborne crew and support the airborne troops in their operation. Each airborne division had 54 vehicles at its disposal. It proved successful despite its weak armour and small caliber as this type of vehicle was invaluable in the hands of airborne troops, able to use a mobile artillery vehicle behind enemy lines. The ASU-57 stayed in service in the Soviet Airborne Forces for around 20 years before being replaced by the ASU-85.

The ASU-57 was also given out to the Soviet Union's allies from 1960s to 70s. Such included Egypt, East Germany, North Korea, Poland, Sahrawi Republic, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, and Ethiopia.